Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Alexandria

For one person, living is cheaper in Alexandria: $859 a month against $1,340 in Bucharest, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Alexandria
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Alexandria Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Alexandria

🇷🇴 Romania

$859

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Alexandria

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bucharest and in Alexandria actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $859 in Alexandria.

Bucharest $1,340
Alexandria $859

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $1,320 in Alexandria.

Bucharest $2,037
Alexandria $1,320

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $1,781 in Alexandria.

Bucharest $2,734
Alexandria $1,781

Living in Bucharest is roughly 56% more expensive than in Alexandria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucharest 1% lower, Alexandria 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$8.30 RON 39.26

74.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$30.10 RON 142

92.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$7.24 RON 34.24

3.31%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$1.62 RON 7.68

112.35%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 RON 11.22

$1.76 RON 8.34

34.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$1.49 RON 7.03

54.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$2.11 RON 9.99

75.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$2.46 RON 11.66

69.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$1.39 RON 6.56

20.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$0.80 RON 3.78

71.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$1.10 RON 5.21

56.36%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$2.16 RON 10.23

68.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$4.98 RON 23.57

82.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$4.30 RON 20.35

59.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$7.67 RON 36.31

56.45%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$0.88 RON 4.16

39.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$1.18 RON 5.57

38.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$0.98 RON 4.61

60.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$0.98 RON 4.62

159.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$0.70 RON 3.33

12.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$0.61 RON 2.87

26.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$0.72 RON 3.40

20.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$0.86 RON 4.06

15.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$5.43 RON 25.69

16.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$5.15 RON 24.38

20.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$0.92 RON 4.34

29.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$1.08 RON 5.10

45.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$0.60 RON 2.86

43.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

$42.28 RON 200

-50.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$0.44 RON 2.07

45.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$0.40 RON 1.91

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$5.49 RON 25.97

17.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$1.72 RON 8.14

13.95%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$16.1K RON 76.2K

80.07%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$23.1K RON 109.4K

15.22%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$196 RON 927

$115 RON 545

70.04%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$8.04 RON 38.04

$5.18 RON 24.53

55.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$7.60 RON 35.96

23.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

$58.6 RON 277

-14.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

$24.59 RON 116

3.01%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$6.36 RON 30.10

28.14%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$628 RON 2,971

$308 RON 1,459

103.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$6,663 RON 31.5K

111.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$51.7 RON 245

73.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$22.37 RON 106

71.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$63.2 RON 299

25.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$64.0 RON 303

41.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$319 RON 1,511

112.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$238 RON 1,127

88.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

$577 RON 2,731

87.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

$419 RON 1,981

73.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$1,235 RON 5,842

203.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$778 RON 3,679

182.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$844 RON 3,995

57.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

6.73

0.30%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Alexandria: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Alexandria

$238 27.7% 46.9% $210

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Alexandria

$136 15.8% 39.6% $89

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Alexandria

$148 17.2% 34.2% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Alexandria

$128 14.9% 40% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Alexandria

$91 10.5% 32.4% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Alexandria

$71 8.3% 7.1% $4.7

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Alexandria

$47 5.5% 67.1% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $319 in Alexandria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 57% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $58.0 in Bucharest vs $30.00 in Alexandria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $148 per month, with Alexandria cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇷🇴 Alexandria

🕒 Local time

10:19 10:19 AM

Same time as Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

45,434

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Alexandria 81 km

From you

Bucharest
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Bucharest vs Alexandria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alexandria wins on cost – living expenses run 56% lower than in Bucharest. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Alexandria the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 57% higher in Bucharest, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $678 in Bucharest versus $319 in Alexandria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,340 per month in Bucharest versus $859 in Alexandria – a 56% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Alexandria runs roughly 100% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $859 in Alexandria versus $1,340 in Bucharest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Alexandria but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Alexandria the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Alexandria delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $859 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Alexandria hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Alexandria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.